Forty-six years ago, a dream was born for a Quarter Century Collie Group. It was the brain child of Murray Drucker whose famous Collie Review magazine was the “must read” of the time. Dr. William Brokken was president of the Collie Club of America. With help from Ralph Morrison, the 1980 dreamer was later joined by Milton & LaVerne Walker and Lois Hillman.
By 1984, with a strong group of enthusiastic folks having belonged to the Collie Club of America for twenty-five years or more, the newly formed organization met in Detroit, Michigan. There, the first group of legendary achievers was inducted into the QCCG Hall of Fame. The honorees were:
Dr. Oda Prescott Bennett (1886-1944), Florence Bell Ilch (1891-1982), Dr. James Price McCain (1892-1957), Edwin L. Pickhardt (1894-1969), and Albert Payson Terhune (1872-1942).
Presently, over sixty individual placards have been created along with brief bios picturing each Hall of Fame member. Last month in Tulsa, Oklahoma, former American Kennel Club Field Representative William “Bill” Holbrook and Roz Durham were honored with two new boards that would become a part of this prized collection.
1924-2019
Bill Holbrook’s introduction to Collies began when he met his future wife Janet “Jidge” Mason when they were both performing in their high school play in Lincoln Nebraska. Jidge’s love for Collies was nurtured from a young age by reading Terhunes Lad: a Dog and her time spent with her grandfather’s working Collies on his Nebraska farms. Jidge’s first Collie of her own, The Count Of Buffington, arrived via train in the spring of 1939. According to Bill, he knew he had made the conquest when he finally succeeded in kissing Jidge goodnight without Buff standing in between them! Bill and Jidge got married in 1947. The first Collie in their married life, Pleasant Hill D’ebon Rhapsody, was acquired from Billy Aschenbrenner.
Bill and Jidge moved to California in 1954, and purchased “Lady,” a daughter of Ch. Paraders Bold Venture, from Steve Field in 1955.
In 1956, Lady was bred to Borcos Roger Bright and this litter produced Ch. Blazer Of Buffington, “Blazer,” who went on to become the Holbrook’s most notable show dog. Bill and Jidge’s first champion was a Blazer son, Ch. Sir Ree Bob Of Buffington, who finished under judge Steve Field in 1960. The Holbrooks had a small kennel and went on to breed several influential dogs throughout the sixties and seventies, including Ch. Buffington’s Gambler O Walita and Ch. Buffington’s Lady Nutmeg. In 1967, Holbrook’s Koani Kaper was bred to Ch. Parader’s Reflection, producing Helga Kane’s breathtaking Ch. Kanebriar Holbrook Halloo, dam of Ch. Kanebriar Keynote, an outstanding winner of his era as well. The Holbrooks dogs were foundational to both Shoreham and Kanebriar Collies.
Bill obtained his professional handlers license from the AKC in 1964. He had a successful handling career and went on to obtain his license to judge Collies and Shelties in 1969. He became the CCA District Director for Southern California in 1969, as well as becoming the first Vice President of the CCA. In 1978, Bill judged the CCA that was held in Louisville Kentucky, with, at the time, a record-breaking entry of 938 dogs, where he awarded BOB to the veteran, Ch. Tartanside The Gladiator. In 1980, he was invited to become an Executive Field Representative by the AKC. He spent the next twenty-nine years in this role, where he was known for his soft-spoken guidance and opinion, patience and generosity, honesty and fairness, along with being a good listener who was filled with common sense and a wonderful sense of humor. When he retired in 2007 he returned to judging, where he was approved for Collies, Shelties, Malamutes, Samoyeds, Siberians, the Toy Group, and as a Best in Show judge.
Bill was awarded AKC’s inaugural Langdon Skarda Award, and in 2013, he was nominated as a finalist for the AKC Lifetime Achievement Award. Bill finished his judging career by judging dogs at the 2010 CCA where he awarded WD to Arrowhill Swords Held High.
Bill was known for his unyielding commitment and dedication to the sport of purebred dogs and to the Collie breed. He is greatly missed and we hope that his legacy of making dog shows fun, communal, ethical, and fair to all lives on for many more years to come.
—Nancy and Jenny Holbrook
1930-2018
Roz Durham was a lifelong Collie lover, acquiring her first Collie, Dutchess Lady Jeanne, a tri female sired by Ch Blackout Of Tokalon, in her early teens while living in Sausalito, California. Roz trained Dutchess to her UD title before trying her hand at Conformation. Though never having a large breeding program, 18 champions, four of which were homebred, bear the Rosslane prefix. Countless others earned their titles due to Roz’s expert grooming and handling.
Roz shared those grooming skills in the booklet, Your Collie, from Kennel to Show Ring, the cover of which is a beautiful head study by her longtime friend, Lorraine Still. First published in 1961, with a second printing in 1972 with photography by Roz’s husband Bob, the book illustrates techniques for trimming, thinning, and brushing. This labor of love won the 1968 National Dog Writers’ Award, and the material was adapted into a slide show narrated by Bill Holbrook, the longtime AKC Delegate and Collie breeder, for use by clubs nationwide.
Roz was a talented photographer in her own right. Her portraits were works of art. They captured true Collie expression and are still held in high regard today.
In 1951, her love of the breed progressed from owner/handler to handling professionally. Her most special client dog was Robel’s Jason. After he had nine points, his owners, the Waers, decided to hire a professional handler. They chose Roz, and to hear her tell the story it was love at first sight. Jason’s sweet expression cinched it for Roz. She loved beautiful, sweet expression and emphasized the importance that eye size, shape, color, and placement play in expression. The decision was made to enter the 1969 CC of A in Minnesota. Win or lose, this would be Jason’s final show. For the dynamic duo, the pinnacle was achieved when Noel Denton selected Jason with his loving handler, Roz, as Best of Breed at the Collie Club of America.
Having achieved the greatest success in her handling career, Roz turned her attention to judging. Her reputation for a genuinely kind demeanor, gentle touch, and an eye for all things beautiful while respecting all exhibitors led to many judging assignments, with Specialties not only in the US but in Canada and Australia. She considered being chosen to judge her beloved breed’s bitches at the 1994 CC of A the highest honor any judge could have in their life. This was the high point of her entire judging career; a dream come true. An entry of over 400 bitches was a testament to the respect Roz had earned throughout her life in Collies.
An avid supporter of the Collie Health Foundation, Roz served many terms on the CHF Board. Roz has left much behind and taught us to pay it forward in service and in our being caretakers of the Collie. Hers was truly a life lived loving Collies.
—Tracy Shepherd
